Print this page

News in Brief, 19 October 2018

19 Oct 2018 General
News in Brief, 19 October 2018

A selection of the week's happenings for your prayers.

Society & Politics

  • MPs express concern over trans debate: A new poll shows that the majority of MPs are concerned about the rapid rise in children identifying as transgender. 54% said they feel unable to speak freely about trans issues without being branded transphobic. Read more here.
  • UK Jews disproportionate targets of hate: You may have heard this week that ‘hate crime’ has risen in Britain. But did you know that, relative to their small population (0.5% of the population), British Jews are the single most targeted group (12% of attacks)? Read more here.
  • 16,000 young children in ‘toxic’ homes: A new report finds that these children are growing up around domestic violence, drug/alcohol dependency and severe mental illness. 160,000 under-fives live in homes with two of these three problems. Read more here.

Church Issues

  • CofE bishops warn over LGBT: A letter signed by 11 evangelical bishops warns of the great division that would ensue if the Church changes its stance on sexuality. Read more here. A letter signed by 13 bishops has also been sent to GAFCON requesting dialogue and continued fellowship. Read more here. There are some overlaps in the signatories of the two letters.
  • Imam to preach in Oxford church: Imam Monawar Hussain will preach the Eucharistic sermon at University Church, Oxford, this coming Sunday morning (21 October). Read more here.

World Scene

  • Queensland legalises abortion: The Australian state has legalised abortion up to 22 weeks (later-term abortions available with medical consent) and established buffer zones of 150m around abortion clinics to ward of protestors. Read more here.
  • US to pursue trade deal with Britain: The Trump administration has formally announced that it intends to pursue several new trade deals, including one with Britain. Read more here. A new list of Trump’s presidential achievements has been published in recent days.

Israel & Middle East

  • Gaza rocket hits Beersheba home: A rocket hit a home in Beersheba this week, prompting IAF retaliation targeting 20 military facilities in the Strip. Read more here. Netanyahu promised a ‘forceful’ response, though neither side wants escalation.
  • ‘State of Palestine’ upgraded at the UN: The UN General Assembly has voted to grant the so-called ‘state’ temporary privileges that will enable it to chair the Group of 77, the largest bloc of developing nations in the UN, during 2019. Read more here.
  • US downgrades Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem: The US’s main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians will now come under the Jerusalem embassy. Meanwhile, Australia is mulling moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, although it still backs a two-state solution. Read more here.

Upcoming Events

  • Christian Concern’s 10th anniversary celebration (Central London): Saturday 20 October. 4-7pm, Emmanuel Centre, Westminster. Join Christian Concern staff and clients to celebrate a decade of ministry, learn about their work, rejoice in past victories and look to the future. Booking essential, though places are free. Click here for more details.

 

Recommended Sources

At Prophecy Today UK we are aware that the world is moving very quickly and it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments – especially when the material circulated by our mainstream media is increasingly far from reality and definitely not devoted to a biblical perspective!

Though we are not a news service, we want to help keep you informed by passing on updates and reports as we are led. This will be a selective, not an exhaustive, round-up, which we hope will be helpful for your prayers. Click here to browse our News archive.

We also recommend the following news services for regular updates from a Christian perspective: